Holy Trinity Church, Coventry

Holy Trinity Church stands in the centre of Coventry, a medieval parish church still complete after nine centuries. Its 59-metre nave leads to a 72-metre spire, one of the tallest non-cathedral spires in the country. The building began in the 12th century and was enlarged or repaired by craftsmen such as Thomas Rickman in 1826 and Richard Charles Hussey in 1843. George Gilbert Scott carried out a major restoration in 1854, reshaping the interior we see today. The church is best known for its doom wall-painting above the chancel arch, created in the 1430s. After being whitewashed in 1831 it vanished for more than a century until David Gee restored and varnished it. Dark varnish soon obscured the painting again until 1995, when conservators removed the layers and revealed the vivid medieval image in 2004. The organ has its own story, built in stages from 1526 and finally dismantled in 2007 when it could no longer be repaired. Inside, the nave opens beneath the tower arch bearing the doom painting. The east end rebuilt in 1786 and the west front remodelled in 1843 frame the space. A three-manual Forster and Andrews organ stood in the south chancel aisle from 1855 until it was removed. The church’s tall spire dominates the skyline, marking the heart of Coventry’s historic core.